Photos

1 of 3

COCHITI PUEBLO, N.M., -- On Oct. 29, 2014, meeting participants took a field trip to Cochiti Dam and the nearby former Dixon apple orchard to see how the area's hydrologic conditions have changed. (Photo by Rick Britzman)

The attendees enjoyed presentations on topics including climate; the 2011 Las Conchas Fire; the Corps Water Management System (CWMS); as well as a presentation from the National Weather Service. Dennis Garcia, chief of the District’s Reservoir Control Branch and Tamara Massong, chief of the District’s H&H Section, presented on some of the H&H/Reservoir Control challenges facing the District, such as those stemming from recent wildfires.

On Oct. 29, the group took a field trip to Cochiti Dam and the nearby former Dixon apple orchard. The orchard was severely damaged in the Las Conchas Fire. The COP members looked at how the area’s hydrologic conditions have changed since the fire.

Participants said there was a lot of good discussions and conversations among the COP. It was good to meet with colleagues and “come together to find solutions,” Massong said, as “we’re all dealing with the same issues.”

The Los Angeles District hosted the last COP meeting in 2010. Usually occurring every two years, the 2012 meeting was put on hold due to changes in conference policy at USACE headquarters. In May 2014, Garcia and Massong “received the green light to plan and prepare for the 2014 meeting,” Garcia said. He added that a lot of planning goes into the meeting. The next meeting is tentatively scheduled to be hosted by the Sacramento District in 2016.